Temple University Athletics
McCAFFERTY'S GEM SALVAGES SPLIT WITH WAGNER
3.10.05 | Baseball
BOCA RATON, FL -- Sophomore Chris McCafferty tossed a complete-game with 11 strikeouts to salvage a split with Wagner (3-5) on Thursday at Florida Atlantic. The transfer from Maryland scattered six hits as the Owls (2-4) won the nightcap, 10-2. Freshman Devon Swope's two homeruns and four RBI went for naught as Temple watched Wagner score eight unanswered runs in a 10-6 victory.
After Wagner scored two runs off Temple starter Justin Mendek in the second, the Owls answered with three in their half of the inning. Swope slugged a homerun to centerfield for his first collegiate round-tripper to open the inning. Junior Jason Adamek singled to rightfield and classmate Marc Wagner followed with a bunt single. Adamek advanced to third on a throwing error by the pitcher on Wagner's bunt and scored on a senior Pete Colon sacrifice fly. Senior Justin Cooper drove in Wagner with a single to put TU ahead 3-2.
Swope provided all the scoring with his three-run homerun to right-center in the third. Senior Mike Weckenman walked to lead-off the inning and sophomore Dan Brady was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Swope responded with his second homer is as many at-bats to put Temple up 6-2.
Mendek rolled through the fourth and fifth innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth. The southpaw allowed back-to-back doubles to begin the inning and after two quick outs, loaded the bases before giving way to freshman Steve Develin. After the dust had settled, the Seahawks had tied the score at six.
Despite putting runners in scoring position, neither team could score in the seventh inning and the game moved on to extra frames. Wagner scored four runs in the eighth off Develin (0-2) and freshman Tom Dolan to take a commanding 10-6 lead. Temple went down in order in the eighth and suffered its third straight defeat.
Mendek allowed three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched and garnered the no-decision. Dolan, Swope and Wagner all had two hits for the Cherry and White.
McCafferty, after getting roughed up on Monday against Boston College, was dominant on the hill. He started the game by striking out the first six batters and only ran into trouble in the third inning. The sophomore allowed two earned runs in the frame, but settled down to record the complete-game victory, the first of his collegiate career.
Temple scored three runs in the second inning off an RBI single from senior Matt Lafferty and groundballs from senior Jason Connor and Weckenman. A Cooper walk forced in a run in the third and a fielder's choice from Dolan knocked in another in the fourth to put TU ahead 5-2.
Swope drove in his fifth run of the day with an RBI single to right in the fifth. The Owls added four insurance runs in the seventh with the big hit being a two-run single from junior Mike Silverman.
Cooper (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and Connor (2-for-4, RBI) were the stars offensively in the nightcap.
Temple opens a three-game series with Pittsburgh on Friday at 2 p.m. at Florida Atlantic. Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday's (1 p.m.) games will be held in West Palm Beach, Fla. More information about the complex can be found at www.palmbeachchallenge.com.
